Volodymyr Zelensky issues peace deal ‘red lines’ as Putin plots to ‘drag out’ ceasefire talks
Volodymyr Zelensky has issued an extraordinary new statement committing to “red lines” following negotiations on a potential peace deal with the US, while Vladimir Putin is reportedly plotting to drag out ceasefire talks for as long as possible.
The Ukrainian President has posted an official statement online just hours after emerging from joint negotiations with US officials starting his country and Russia on a potential road to a ceasefire. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said following the meeting that the country was “happy” Ukraine backed the peace process, with the ball now firmly in Russia’s court.
He said: “If they say no, it’ll tell us a lot about what their goals are and what their mindset is, but I don’t want to go into that before they’ve even answered us.” As negotiators wait for Vladimir Putin to respond to proposals, Mr Zelensky reiterated how high the stakes for his country are in a major new statement.
Speaking via an interpreter earlier today, he said Ukrainians had fought to keep territories from falling into Russian hands, and outlined the country’s “most important red line”. He said: “We are fighting for our independence. And therefore we will not recognize any territories occupied by Russia. This is a fact.
“Our people fought for this, our heroes died. How many were wounded? How much has happened? Therefore, no one will forget about this. When I say that no one will forget, this is the most important red line. We will not let anyone forget about this crime against Ukraine.”
Despite the straight-shooting statement, the President hailed what he said was a “first big constructive discussion” between Ukraine and the US in Saudi Arabia, which yielded “very positive results”. He said Ukraine “has always wanted the war to end”, pledging to support the US-led plan “to see this war end as soon as possible”.
But Vladimir Putin has not approached negotiations with quite the same energy, it has been reported, with the Russian despot said to be planning to “drag out” the timeline between negotiations and a ceasefire agreement. Citing “several people with knowledge of the situation”, the publication reported that Putin is set on having hi own conditions met before signing an agreement.
Russia is reportedly looking for Ukraine to cede land it has attacked and occupied since the war began in February 2022 before it commits to a ceasefire, with several other conditions potentially in the mix. These could include a demand to halt all weapon supplies to Ukraine, figures close to the Kremlin has claimed.
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